14. but since you have utterly spurned the Lord by this deed, the child born to you will surely die.”
15. Then Nathan returned to his house.The Lord struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and it became desperately ill.
16. David pleaded with God on behalf of the child. He kept a total fast, and spent the night lying on the ground clothed in sackcloth.
17. The elders of his house stood beside him to get him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor would he take food with them.
18. On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said: “When the child was alive, we spoke to him, but he would not listen to what we said. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do some harm!”
19. But David noticed his servants whispering among themselves and realized that the child was dead. He asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “Yes.”
20. Rising from the ground, David washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes. Then he went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. He returned to his own house and asked for food; they set it before him, and he ate.
21. His servants said to him: “What is this you are doing? While the child was living, you fasted and wept and kept vigil; now that the child is dead, you rise and take food.”